The Fourth Ninja Great War
by Fortissimo
Summary: In the wake of Naruto's graduation, the world is strife with conflict. Admist death and destruction, Naruto will ascend to greatness... or die trying. AU
1. The Hokage Smokes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but Kosame and Kaira are mine. Take them and DIE!**

Friends! Countrymen! Readers! Lend me your eyes! Today I bring to a spectacular spectacle seperate from all others. The debut of Real Shinobi, a Naruto-fic about Real Shinobi. No retarded teenage love confessions, or stupid phrases like "acknowledge me," and"precious person," and "prove my existence." Just blood, sweat, and tears.

Now, without further ado, I bring to you...

* * *

**_The Hokage Smokes_**

* * *

It's amazing what one can discern from observation. You could find out nearly everything about a person from observing them, just by reading posture and tenseness, speech patterns, speed or preciseness of movement… it was like fitting a puzzle together; taking small, insignificant things and joining them into one whole to make a person.

Sarutobi was good at that, putting puzzles, or people rather, together. In some instances he allowed his feelings to overshadow his mind, but for the most part, he was an excellent observer.

And one day, just like every other day, Naruto came to his office, an insult on his lips. "Urutora jiji!"

However, today there had been an influx of paperwork, and such, an abundance of paper clips. Without wasting time to think, Sandaime thumped a paperclip at Naruto, smacking him soundly in the middle of his forehead.

"Ahh!" Naruto yelled, falling on his ass. "Hey! What's the big idea?!" he questioned, incensed, rubbing his abused cranium.

"Now is not a good time, Naruto. I'm very busy."

"Busy, shmizy." The boy grumbled. "I'll come back later."

Almost two hours passed, and the Hokage was still slaving away. He could designate someone else to the paperwork, but he was so old… there wasn't much else he felt like doing, really. He either smoked, read Hentai, or… smoked. His wife had died years ago, his son was one of the Fire Lord's twelve guards, and his daughter understood his duties as Hokage and didn't demand much of his time. He had done so much paperwork over the years it was almost sec-

His door banged open. "Urutora jiji!"

A paper clip was flying at the young Uzumaki's head before he had finished speaking, but the boy managed to slide to the side just as the paper clip whizzed by his head, leaving a small cut along his temple.

Naruto raised his hand to his head, staring at the fingers as they came away with a thin line of blood along the tips. "You… you… you cut me!"

"Aww shut up," the Hokage growled, moving to check on the boy. He was only mildly worried about the cut, as it so shallow, but as he leaned down to look at his head, the cut had already healed.

He drew back, his face pensive. Disregarding the healing, the boy shouldn't have been able to avoid the paper clip as much as he did. He knew from experience; the Nidaime used to do the same thing to him, and it had taken him two and a half weeks till he had been able to avoid the "flying-paperclips-of-death."

"How did you move fast enough to avoid the paperclip?" He asked, stroking his beard.

"I dunno," Naruto replied, shrugging. "I just… moved."

"Describe it."

"What?"

"When you moved. When you realized a paper clip was flying towards your head. Describe it."

"Ummm… I said Ura-" and here the Hokage frowned at the boy, another paperclip appearing magically wedged between his thumb and middle finger, "-ahem, those words, and then I saw the paper clip coming towards me, and then I moved." He shrugged. "I don't exactly know what your asking me," he paused, eyeing the paperclip still in Sarutobi's hand, "Sandaime-sama."

Said Hokage grinned at the respect shown by Naruto. "Boy, we might just make a Shinobi out of you yet!" But first… I need to test my theory.

How the Hokage could come up with a theory based of such little information was a mystery, but he did indeed, put his theory to the test.

* * *

There was only so much a child could take, he reasoned, puffing his pipe. Over and over again, he had told them that the boy was nothing more than that- a boy, no more, no less. Did a scroll with a kunai sealed into it become a kunai when the sealing was done? No, they answered. It was scroll with a kunai sealed in it. Is Naruto the Kyuubi? Yes, they screamed. He was an abonimation who deserved no more than death.

Sarutobi could only do so much for the boy; as Hokage, he had a slew of other responsibilities that demanded far more time and effort. Just a year ago, Kumo nin had attempted to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress; it was only just the past week that Konoha and Kumo settled on a fickle "peace" treaty. They had demanded Hyuuga Hiashi… he sent them a battalion of ANBU instead. Needless to say, the display of power from the fabled "God of Shinobi" quieted all whispers of war… now there were just mumbles.

Noticing that his thought's were wandering, and the substance in his pipe was more potent than the last bunch, he signaled for the ANBU at the doorway to let Naruto in.

The door creaked open slowly, revealing a disheveled young lad, his age indeterminate, though it was apparent he was very young. Spiked blond hair hung in chunks about his head, and his bright blue eyes didn't look so bright. The marks on his cheeks, three horizontal lines, had grown thicker over the pass few weeks. His clothes, or lack thereof, consisted of a tattered pair of pants, that could've once been orange, and a slip of cloth over his torso that used to be shirt.

"Naruto, come, sit." He said, once is was apparent the child would not move on his own.

Naruto glided towards him, slipping into one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"Well?" He paused. "Talk boy." he said gruffly, frowning. "Did something happen?" he asked, this question directed at the ANBU standing near the door.

"No Hokage-sama," was the instant reply.

"Then why-"He was cut off by laughter. Sarutobi smiled himself, watching Naruto laugh.

"I was just joking around, jiji. Trying to see if I could be like Stiff-san over there."

The Hokage chuckled at the barb, taking a long, slow puff from his pipe. "So tell me about your training." He said, leaning back in his chair.

Naruto drew in a deep breath. "It was hard at first… it was so dark and scary. But then I made my first kill, and my eyes got better, and my hearing got better, and then I could really smell and it turned into this whole other world! I climbed into the trees and watched wolves hunt… they hunt in packs ya' know."

"Yes, Naruto, I know. The ANBU was designed after the hunting methods of wolves." This was a lie, but the correlation between animal and shinobi would help the boy understand.

"Anyway, I watched them for days and days and days, even weeks, trying to learn how to walk like them and hunt like them, but since there was only one of me, I couldn't really use their umm… methods to the full… the full… extent!"

"And who did you hear that phrase from Naruto-kun?"

"Stiff-san number three." He said seriously.

The Hokage laughed long and hard, more from his pipe than anything, and gestured for Naruto to continue with his story.

"Anyway, after a while, the wolves… accepted me. I ran with them for four whole weeks jiji! Four! And now… I want ramen. Forest food is good, but nothing can touch ramen… so can I go now? I'll tell you more later, but I'm sure one of the Stiff-san's will re… re…. reiterate what I said… or something stupid like that."

"Very well, Naruto, but I want you back here within the hour."

The boy was out the door before he finished speaking, and he was amazed at how silently he moved.

"Ahem, "Stiff-san"? Would you like to reiterate, as Naruto so eloquently put it?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki-san adapted to the wilderness within a week… it was almost like he was supposed to be there."

"Oh?" Sarutobi questioned, scratching his beard.

"Hai. He had the jitters for a few hours, but he happened upon a rabbit in the night… I don't know how he managed to kill it, but he did, and the next day… it seemed as if eating that rabbit awakened his wild nature, so to speak. Over the course of the three months he successfully emulated the silent running of the wolves. His hearing, smelling, and night vision progressed far pass normal human standards."

"Like the Inuzaka?" the Hokage interrupted.

"Hai. Very similar, if not slightly more advanced. Wolves are, after all, more savage creatures than nin-dogs."

"That they are, Stiff-san, that they are," he said distractedly, lost in his thoughts. He ignored Tenzou's slight ire at still being referred to as Stiff-san. "What else?"

"We could mask our presence from the wolves, but after a while… he noticed us. At night, and in the early morning, we would see him watching us. Kosame and Kasia turned it into a game. For an entire day they would play "tag" with him. They restricted their speed, of course, and Naruto never won, but he came far too close for a seven year old."

"What else did you notice?"

"He loves you very much, Hokage-sama. And he's ready."

"For what?"

"Kage Bunshin."

The Hokage frowned at Tenzou. His request was so… odd. Most jounin knew the jutsu, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to see what Naruto could do with the technique, but, "Why would we, oh, excuse me, why should **you** teach a seven-year old Kage Bunshin?"

"Because he is **his** son… because he has more chakra than us both… because he could become something great."

"Great, you say? With this one technique?"

"Uzumaki-san attained something in that forest… a sense of peace, something intagible, something that I cannot explain. His will of fire is strong, Hokage-sama." He paused, pleading in earnest. "We needn't teach him anything else, and kami knows he will need the extra help, with all the shinobi families having children his age. Just this one technique, Hokage-sama. Just this one… he can take it to levels we have never before seen."

"Okay, Tenzou." He waved his hand, not really caring either way. At the end of the day, it'd only do to make Naruto safer… what more could he ask? "Teach him the Kage-Bunshin. Enlist him back into the academy when you do, he's missed a lot. Now leave, I've got another bowl left."

"Ahem...Just one more thing, Hokage-sama."

"What?" he asked, irritated, sliding his pipe into his mouth.

"I don't know the Kage Bunshin, sir."

Sarutobi gaped at Tenzou, pipe dangling precariously off his bottom lip. _I'm surrounded by idiots…_


	2. Kosame and Kaira

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own are my socks and draws.**

This is chapter one. Short and sweet, just how I like them. The next few chapters will be some high level fights, just to get your blood pumping.

* * *

**Kosame and Kaira**

* * *

"Do you understand?" Tenzou asked for what seemed to be the thousandth time. In truth he had only asked him thrice, but the boy had an uncanny ability to annoy the hell out of him.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto replied, bored. So the shadow clones could share memories? And? It wouldn't do him any good now, so it wasn't a big deal. He wasn't even a ninja yet!

Tenzou sighed, rubbing his forehead, sensing his student's thoughts. "Think idiot boy! Think about what you can accomplish with such a technique!" He was loathe to do it, but he had to get him to see the benefits outside of learning techniques. "Imagine the pranks you can pull… all the information you can gather…" he trailed off, yearning Naruto to understand.

"Hmmm… I see the potential for pranks, but why would I need information?" he asked, eyes squinting stupidly. Tenzou hated the expression, and Naruto knew it.

"Too blackmail, of course. You may not be a ninja now, but you will be in a few years, and you'll need to know everything you can."

"Okay, okay, Stiff-san, I get it… can I go now?"

Tenzou sighed again, but was happy to be rid of Naruto… he was so infuriating! And he did it on purpose!

By the time Tenzou looked up, Naruto was sprinting away, no doubt on his way to Ichiraku's.

"He can be annoying, can't he?" a feminine voice spoke.

Tenzou snapped to attention, turning to face the speaker. How had this person snuck up on him?

"Who are you?" he asked, eyeing the tattoo on her arm… she was ANBU, but she didn't have on the standard gear.

"Does it matter?" she said, circling him.

Like most Kunoichi, she had an amazing physique, and oddly colored hair. Deep blue strands hung limply around her face, parting every so often to show the gleaming gems in her ear. She was short, shorter than him, at least, but he couldn't guess her age.

"Yes," he replied. "It matters."

"You don't recognize my voice, Tenzou-kun? I am Kosame."

Kosame? He'd always thought Kosame was a man. "I didn't recognize your voice, Kosame-san, because you never speak." He said, relaxing.

"Touché." She replied, still circling.

Tenzou didn't like feeling flustered, and he didn't like mystery. "What do you want, Kosame-san?"

"Nothing that you can offer. I came here to see how Naruto's training was going. Was he successful?"

"Yes. He learned the technique in record time." He paused, glancing toward the village. "If you'll excuse me, Kosame-san." he said, turning to walk away.

"Do you know why he does it?" she asked.

He stopped. "It?"

"Watch him sometime… you'll understand."

He turned around to ask her what she meant, only to see a puddle of water wear she had been standing. Mizu Bunshin? Or something else…

* * *

Naruto was sprinting along the roof tops towards his home. His belly was full, he was tired, and more than ready to retire for the evening.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn't eat ramen all the time, but it was his favorite food. The stuff just wasn't filling enough unless he ate massive amounts of it, and it never had enough meat in it, not after the Forest. Teuchi-jiji would fix him different meals now, but for the same low ramen price.

He glanced to his left and his right, grinning at his Kage Bunshin. The technique really was amazing, and he planned to take full advantage of it.

_I can prank someone in east Konoha, be in class in west Konoha, and be learning more ninja techniques from Urutora jiji! I'm so awesome._

Lost in his thoughts, Naruto didn't notice the body dropping silently in front of him. He did, however, feel as his body slammed into what felt like a brick wall, ceasing all motion, jarring his bones and muscles.

"Ow! What the fuck…" he trailed off, looking into the face of one of prettiest women he had ever seen. Her hair was fiery red, but kind of spiky, like his own, and much longer, almost like a mane. Her eyes were big and dark, and in her left eyebrow was a… a ring?

"Why do you have that in your eyebrow?" he asked, pointing. The woman laughed, kneeling down to help him up.

"It's for protection. It's what makes me unique."

"Ummm… okay." _Weird…_ "My name's Naruto." he introduced himself, remembering proper manners. "And you are…"

"I am Kaira. You should know me, Naruto-kun."

"What? How?"

"We have met before, you and I…" She paused, and Naruto grew annoyed at her mysteriousness, "in the forest… we played tag."

"Ohhh! Stiff-san!" he exclaimed. He remembered his time in the forest vividly… it was the only time he had truly felt free. "Number three or number two?"

"Number three."

"It's nice to see you again Stiff-san Number three."

"You know my name now Naruto-kun, you don't have to call me that anymore."

"I may know your name, but you'll always be Stiff-san to me!" He declared.

Kaira leaned forward, putting her face mere inches away from his. She pouted, eyes fluttering heavily. "Do I look so stiff now, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto had seen women flirt before, so he knew the game she was playing… and he wasn't interested. "Yep." he said shortly, putting his hand against her chin and pushing it away.

Kaira laughed, but allowed him to push her face away. "You're a smart boy, Naruto-kun… don't let anyone tell you different."

_Too weird…_ Now that he had figured out who she was, the mystique fizzled away, and he was ready to go home. "I was on my way home, Kaira-san, so I'll just be going…"

"Go ahead, Naruto-kun, I just wanted to see if you remembered me."

_Weird_, he thought again, turning to hop off of the roof.

"You should open up some, Naruto-kun. Not everyone hates you."

"Wha-?!" he turned around, but only saw a pitiful little ember falling to the ground. "Far too weird." he reiterated. Shaking his head, he hopped down from the roof, continuing on his way home.

"Wait a sec!" he exclaimed as he landed. "Those stupid Kage Bunshin just kept going…" he though about the ramifications of independent thinking clones… "those stupid Kage Bunshin kept going!" he yelled with a smile.

* * *

"So what do you think about him?" Kakashi questioned.

"He could fit in with us just fine. He can use Mokuton, which is a plus. It makes him unique." Kosame replied, reclining back in her chair.

They were in a "secret" branch of the Hokage tower, discussing who they would get to replace their fourth and fallen member. The mission to Kumo had stopped a potential war, but one of their own had died. It was a small price to pay to keep Konoha safe and prosperous.

There a flicker of light in the corner, a flame fell to the ground, and Kaira stepped out of the shadow's, falling into the seat next to Kakashi.

The room was rather small and barren, holding only a circular table in the middle, surrounded by five chairs. There was a book case against the far wall, but it was empty. There were no doors… only those with a special seal could get into the room.

"So fill me in." Kaira said, looking at the both of them.

"We'll be extending an invitation to Tenzou to join us." Kakashi said.

"Oh?"

"Yes." This was Kosame. "Over the next few year we'll get him up to speed, and when Sempai is enlisted to train the last Uchiha, he'll be able to take over."

"I still don't see why one of you can't just assume control when I retire."

"Because an ANBU squad should only have one leader, Sempai. There are two of us." Kaira told him.

"That's why I said **one** of you could lead."

"Wouldn't work." Kosame mumbled. Kakashi sighed, giving up. These two were the oddest women he had ever met. There was silence for a few moments, so Kakashi began to inch his hand towards his breast pocket.

"Do you know who he is?" Kaira asked Kakashi.

"Who?" He hated it when they expected him to know everything. He was an A-Class ninja, not a psychic.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Do you know who he is?"

"The Fourth's legacy… what of him? He's what, seven, eight?"

"Seven. If he were eight we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Kakashi just looked at her.

"Only three genin teams are allowed to pass each year. It is a fact that both the Uchiha lead team and the Hyuuga lead team will pass. It is also a fact that the children of those legendary jounin will also pass. These leaves Naruto-"

"Wait. How do you know he won't be on either the Uchiha or the Hyuuga lead teams?"

"You are slipping, Sempai." Kosame said, joining in. She pulled a slip of paper from her breast, and handed it to Kakashi.

"I see," he said, eyes scanning the paper.

"The teams have already been determined, six years before they even graduate. Amazing, isn't it, how much of a ninja's life is planned before hand…." Kosame trailed off, her gaze far away.

"The clans teaching's have not changed, so there is almost zero chance that the teams will be incompatible. Uchiha Sasuke will be paired with the only medic-type, Haruno Sakura, and a "true Shinobi", Honoka Karuson." Kaira continued.

"True Shinobi? And how do they know already know what type of ninja Haruno will be? She isn't from a ninja clan."

"Honaka will follow the rules to the letter." Kosame answered. "His father and grandfather were the same way. Ideal Shinobi."

"And Haruno Oogata is Sakura's stepfather, and a retired medic-nin. Her mother, Haruno Karen is a disabled chuunin. She was once a genjutsu user." Kaira supplied. "They will impart her with some techniques, or they will be failing their duties as parents."

"Hyuuga Hinata will be paired with Aburame Shino and Inuzaka Kiba. They will be the tracking team, with two Taijutsu users and one boy who can drain chakra. And of course there is the Ino-Shika-Cho team… need I say more?"

"Well, yes." Kakashi replied. "Because I still don't know why Naruto is important to this… just let him stay another year in the academy."

"We can't do that, Sempai, and you know it. He has too much potential to leave him there." Kosame jumped in, once again.

"So what are you suggesting? Disregard our rules and make him ANBU?"

"No, of course not. We will simply make our own Genin team."

"Impossible. Only three teams are allowed to pass each year."

"You forget, Sempai, that Hokage-sama also wants to see Naruto-kun succeed."

"And you two will be his jounin sensei?"

"No, no, we will continue our ANBU duties. Shiranui Genma will be the jounin sensei."

"And he's agreed?"

"Hai." they answered in unison.

"So you two have thought this all out then?"

"Yes." Kosame answered. "Genma is a very skilled special jounin. He has elite knowledge in ninjutsu, but he hasn't trained his body as much as he should have. He isn't an elite jounin, but there are six years in between now and Naruto's graduation. That is more than enough time."

Kakashi didn't have anything left to ask.

* * *

He had expected the Academy to be boring. It was still school, after all, and his first year of primary had been seeped in useless, pointless lessons and lectures. It was very stupid, he thought with a frown, to lecture children. According to Kaira-chan, kids responded much more to visual stimulation, and a lecture was everything but visual.

So yes, he had expected boring. He expected pointless and useless. He expected to be sneered at, ignored, and unfairly judged… but by kami, he didn't expect, after five whole years, to have learned virtually nothing! It was outrageous! So much time wast-

"**NARUTO!"**

_Damnit!_

"Yes, Iruka-sensei?"

"Repeat to me what I just said."

Hearing the class snickering in the background, Naruto decided to go for broke. What's the worst that could happen? He'd have to clean erasers? Bah!

"**NARUTO!" **Pause.** "**Repeat to me what I just said."

There was silence for a few moments, before Kiba and Ami laughed loud, hard, and long, quickly joined by half the class. Sasuke still sat stoically in his chair by the window, arms folded. His "fan-girls", as there was no other word to describe them, all sat around him, hoping to one day wait on his beck and call. Shikamaru only yawned and turned his head, and Chouji pulled out another bag of chips. He was crunching so noisily that he hadn't even heard the exchange between Naruto and Iruka. Sweet little Hyuuga Hinata sat ramrod straight in her chair at the front of the room, glaring at whomever dared stare at her too long. Aburame Shino gave a long suffering sigh and shook his head.

"Detention, after class." Iruka hissed, visibly restraining himself. Mizuki-sensei just chuckled from his position in the corner of the room by the door.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever jackass." Naruto mumbled. Kiba laughed even harder at that, giving Naruto a big grin. Naruto, in turn, gave him a thumbs up sign.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Iruka started as the class quieted, "tomorrow is the start of the genin exams. There will be written test, a Taijutsu test, and a Ninjutsu test. Any questions?"

No one raised a hand.

"Good. Dismissed. Naruto, you stay."

Naruto grumbled a little, but didn't move from his seat.

"Hey Naruto!" Kiba called from the doorway. "Come by after your detention!" He winked at Naruto, laughing his way out the door.

When the last of the students had cleared out, Mizuki and Iruka approached Naruto.

"What's your issue, Naruto? Do you not understand the importance of what we teach you?" Iruka implored.

Naruto tilted his head as if in thought, copying the Hokage by scratching his chin. "Yeah, I do… listen, Iruka-sensei, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I've got other things to do, important things, so if you don't mind…"

Before he could blink, he was bound to his chair with thick hemp rope.

"You're not going anywhere brat." Mizuki said smugly. Iruka just frowned, really disappointed in Naruto.

"Bet."

"What?" Mizuki questioned.

"B-E-T. Bet. Make a wager."

"Alright brat. What do you want?"

"If I can escape in ten seconds or less, you have to buy me an entire new set of ninja clothes and equipment."

"And if you don't?"

"I'll do whatever you want me too."

"Whatever I want?"

"…Yeah, but no gay stuff."

"Okay. Have at it." He said, waving his arm. Iruka looked on, fairly amused.

Naruto just smirked, before slamming his head into his desktop, poofing into smoke.

Mizuki and Iruka glanced at each other, then at the ropes on the ground, the same thought running through their heads. _What the FUCK just happened?_


	3. Genma the Jounin

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine**

****

Read. Review. Enjoy

Genma the Elite Jounin

* * *

The Genin exam turned out to be laughably easy. So easy, in fact, that Naruto didn't need to switch places with his Kage Bunshin. It was wrong, he knew, but Iruka and Mizuki were none the wiser, or so he thought. If it weren't for the thick padding in the back of his jacket, his clone would've been dispelled as it left the examination room, and he'd have been in a world of trouble.

As it was, he continued his physical training atop the Hokage monument. No one ever ventured to the apex of the monstrous structure, besides the Sandaime, so he had near complete privacy. Not that he knew, but ANBU where always watching.

He'd begun seriously training his body a scant two years ago, when in Taijutsu practice, both Sasuke and Kiba had kicked his ass. To make matters worst, he then lost to Hyuuga Hinata, who at the time, had been as hard as a fresh cooked soufflé. He'd always sent Kage Bunshin to class in his stead, but he'd never done anything with his free time, aside from the various odd errand for people who didn't hate his guts. Those were few and far in between, so suffice to say, he wasted a lot of time.

That stopped though, after his humbling defeats, so every day "he" went to the academy, he also went to the top of the Hokage monument and trained his body. He did pushups and sit-ups and one-legged squats until he couldn't move, and then pushed himself to do more. His growth was a bit stunted, but his physical prowess more than made up for that set-back. After two years of physically pushing his body to the limit, he was second in his class in Taijutsu. He could've been first, but where Sasuke had his family's style to use, he had nothing.

"Hey Naruto!" his voice called out. He paused in his grueling training only to turn around and see himself climbing onto the level ground of the monument.

"What?" he asked himself, annoyed. He had such bad timing.

The clone didn't reply, instead throwing a black-clothed hitai-ite at Naruto and dispelling itself. Naruto caught the headband, tying it around his head. _Great, it keeps my bangs out of my face… THAT was the exam! Pitiful! It's one thing to see it from another Bunshin's view point, but to actually do it… Jiji needs to up the graduation requirements._

Tomorrow was the day for team assignments, and since Naruto's concentration was shot by the interruption of his Bunshin, he decided to call it a day. Very carefully and skillfully, he jumped off the side of the Hokage Monument.

"Ya-hoo!" he yelled, falling rapidly through the air.

The onlookers below heard his yell, and when they realized what and who it was falling to the ground, their screams of fright turned into cheers. Some of them.

As he neared the ground, Naruto made a hand seal, and just like that, ten Bunshin's popped into life on either side of him. He pulled the one to his immediate right closer to him, climbing upon its back. The maneuver was copied by the remaining Bunshin, leaving one Bunshin alone. It waved sadly at its compatriots, resigned to its fate.

With skill borne from attempting this feat one too many times, Naruto pushed off of the Bunshin's back when they were about fifty feet from the ground, each of his clones doing the same. Ten clones slammed into the ground with a solid "poof", the remaining clones and Naruto performing the maneuver once more. It was repeated twice before Naruto was alone and only ten feet above the ground, a safe height to fall from. He landed with a flourish, creating a crater a few feet deep from his impact. The cheering onlookers booed.

"Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all morning!" He yelled, flicking off the villagers at the same time. He stopped when he heard clapping.

"That was pretty badass Naruto," Ami stated, still clapping as she walked towards him.

"Ami? The fuck are you doing?" He asked rudely. He'd never really liked her, but that was only because she was just as unpleasant as he was.

"Aw shut it, shit face. I've got a message for you."

Naruto waited for her to give her message. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"You're an asshole, ya' know?"

"Yes, I know. Message!"

Ami laughed. She enjoyed annoying Naruto just as much as he enjoyed annoying everyone.

"We're supposed to go to the Hokage's office in exactly ten minutes."

"Why?"

"Team assignments."

"But those aren't till tomorrow…"

"For the others… for us they're now."

"Us? We're on the same team?!"

"Yep, it's you and me buddy, and whatever other sucker they got to join us." She saw the dejected look on his face. "What, hoped you'd be on your precious Sakura-chan's team?"

"No, she's pretty looking, but she's also pretty useless as a ninja." he answered truthfully.

"That sounds like blasphemy to me, Naruto."

"Take it how you want it. Why are we getting our assignments now?"

"According to my Aunt it's because the teams are rigged, or something, and the Hokage is exercising his rights to do whatever the fuck he wants to."

"Oh." Naruto said thoughtfully. "Who's you Aunt?" he asked after a moment. Maybe she was related to Kaira? Or Kosame?

"A crazy lady named Anko… pray that you never meet her."

"Why?"

"Because she's fucking crazy!"

"Oh… why do you curse so much?"

"Poor parental supervision. Why do you curse so much?"

"No parental supervision."

"… makes sense."

They started to walk together towards the Hokage Tower.

"That really sucks." Naruto said without prompting.

"What?" Ami asked, thoroughly confused.

"Falling to the ground from that height." he replied, indicating the Hokage Monument.

"You just fell from that height, fuck are you talking about!"

"I didn't fall, I _fell in style_. Besides, I'm talking about my clones."

"Yeah, I noticed that. They were solid... what gives?"

"It's my special super ultimate technique. Solid clones with memories."

"So you remember slamming into the ground?"

"Yep."

"... That does suck."

The walked silently for a few more moments.

"_Damnit!_ I forgot!"

"What is it this time?"

"Mizuki-sensei owes me some new equipment." One hand sign later, and a Kage Bunshin was racing back to the academy.

"Need I ask?"

"If you want."

"... well?"

"You didn't ask."

"What the fuck was that about?" She was starting to get angry.

"I asked!"

"I didn't say I would answer." he replied cheekily.

She slapped him over the head. Hard. He punched her in the face.

"You son of a bitch! You just hit me!" Ami exclaimed.

"I know."

She made to punch him back, but he was already racing toward the tower.

* * *

"Ah, Naruto, you've arrived." The Sandaime checked the clock sitting on the corner of his desk. "And two minutes late… that's very unbecoming of an aspiring Shinobi." he added darkly.

Naruto gulped, trying to take a step back, only to be pushed forward by a pissed off Ami.

Not even sparing her a glance, Naruto surveyed the room. Everything was the same, even the hidden ANBU by the door and the window, but there was no third genin in sight… just a man in a flak jacket standing at the Hokage's desk. He was fairly tall, almost six feet, and he had a bandana tied around his head. And was that a blade of grass in his mouth?

The man, noticing Naruto's scrutiny, introduced himself. "My name is Genma. Shiranui Genma."

Naruto nodded. "Uzumaki Naruto." _He must be our jounin-sensei…_ No one ever said Naruto wasn't perceptive.

"Mitarashi Ami." _He's a jounin… Obasan told me about him.  
_  
"Hmmm," Genma frowned thoughtfully. "Anko's niece?"

"Unfortunately." she muttered darkly.

Even the Hokage chuckled at that, before waving the two Genin over to sit.

"Listen up you two, and listen closely. Every year, out of all those who graduate from the academy… how many was it this year?"

Naruto frowned at the old man. _He doesn't even know the facts…  
_  
Genma replied after a moment's pause. "According to Iruka, there were 30 graduates."

"So there were ten teams this year? It's usually nine… so why are there only two genin in this room?"

"Umm…"Genma said unintelligently. He had no clue. The ANBU by the window spoke up, spooking Ami, who didn't know he was there.

"One of the prospective Genin had a death in the family. He has forgone further ninja training to join in his family's business, to support his mother and sibling. It was for the better. His ninja skills were severely lacking, and pedigree was not on his side."

The Hokage just shook his head sadly. "That's a shame… but anyway, as I was saying, out of all those who graduate, only nine of them will become ninja… that's three teams. The true Genin test, given by the various Jounin sensei's, has a thirty three percent passing rate." He paused to let that information soak in… and to his delight, Naruto gave no outward reaction, and it appeared that Ami was following his lead. Where Naruto was at home in the Hokage's presence, Ami was a little unsettled. It was to be expected… he was a legendary ninja.

"You two are here today because the three teams that pass are picked before hand… clan politics, a bore, I must say." He added haughtily.

Naruto grinned. "Still the same Urutora jiji." he said, before rolling out of his seat. Less than a second later, a paperclip was flying through the space his head had previously occupied.

"I'm surprised you remembered… you little brat." The Hokage grumbled.

Naruto climbed back in his seat, chuckling. "How could I forget? You jump started my ninja career because of that."

Ami looked on, thoroughly confused, and seconds away slapping Naruto and the Hokage to stop with all the games… well, maybe not the Hokage, but definitely Naruto!

"Before I was so rudely interrupted, again," the Hokage said, pointedly glancing at Naruto, "the three teams chosen by the council didn't include either of you, and I personally would like to see what kind of Shinobi you can become." He noticed that Ami looked like she was dying to ask a question, so he acquiesced.

"Hokage-sama sir… why do you have a personal interest in me? I wasn't particularly talented in the Academy… and I only finished third in my year."

"You are aware of the trials your aunt went through?" he asked seriously.

"Hai." she said, after a moment's hesitation.

"Think of it as an… experiment. I would like to see what a Mitarashi can do without a homicidal maniac as a sensei. I'm a professor, you see."

Now it was Naruto who looked like he was dying to speak, but the Hokage knew enough to know that whatever came out of his mouth would be some sort of insult, so without prompting, he thumped another paperclip at him… and the brat dodged it! _I'm getting too old for this…_

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama… so you're saying that Naruto and I will be a two-man team, with Shiranui-san as our Jounin-sensei?" Ami asked. The Hokage's antics with Naruto had emboldened her confidence, so she didn't feel so out of place in the presence of the legendary ninja.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying." he replied. "You're a smart girl, Ami-chan… don't sell yourself short."

"Hai." she said, blushing.

"How did you know Genma would be your jounin-sensei?" the Hokage asked.

"It was just a guess, really."

"A good guess."

"Thank you sir." she said, blushing again.

"Ha! Crushing on an old man!" Naruto laughed. Ami turned towards him, face flaming read, and socked him a good one in the jaw. Naruto, clutching his jaw, and not one to be outdone, feinted towards Ami. She raised a hand to block, and the Kage Bunshin behind her gave her a solid foot in the back, which had the detrimental affect of sending her careening into Naruto.

"Oof!" they both exclaimed, falling to the ground in a tangle of prepubescent limbs.

"Naruto," Ami grumbled as she climbed off of him, "I'm so going to kick your ass."

"Hn." he grunted.

Ami shocked, stared at him eyes wide, before dissolving into a fit of laughter. "You… sounded… just… like…him!"

"Who are they talking about?" The Hokage whispered to Genma.

"I have no clue." the Jounin replied.

"I've been practicing. You know, to woo Sakura-chan." Naruto said to Ami, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You're alright, Naruto… but I'm still going to kick your ass."

"Sure you are."

"Ahem!"

Naruto and Ami sobered up quickly, snapping to attention. When the Hokage cleared his throat there was no time for fun and games.

"I see you two get along just fine… Genma?"

"Yeah, that's pretty solid team-dynamic… as solid as it can be at this point, anyway." He tilted his head in thought. "With just two of them, they'll grow closer a lot faster than most genin teams… but when we start going on dangerous missions, we'll be at a disadvantage."

"And?" the Hokage implored.

"Naruto," he started, looking at the afore mentioned genin, "as far as I know, is fairly advanced for a genin… Ami, on the other hand, is a typical beginner ninja, based on these reports." He finished, indicating the file sitting on the Hokage's desk.

"Typical for this year's group, you mean?"

"Well, yeah… any other year and she'd have been the top Kunoichi in her class."

"So what exactly are you saying, Genma?"

"I'm saying… I'm saying I'm her jounin-sensei, and I can pretty much mold her into the type of Kunoichi I want her to be… the responsibility is quite daunting, Hokage-sama."

Naruto and Ami had since returned to their seats, and were listening intently.

"We'll have to start advanced training sooner than the other squads, to pick up the slack of being one man down." Genma continued. "It's unorthodox."

Sarutobi frowned. "You chew on blades of grass for no reason… that's unorthodox."

Genma smiled. "I suppose you're right. Would senbon be better?"

"That's even stupider. You could cut yourself." The Hokage admonished as if he were speaking to a child.

Genma just rolled his eyes before turning towards his genin-team. "Meet me at Training Ground 13." He made to sunshin away.

"Wait!" Ami called before he could make his get away. "Where is it?" she asked.

"Find it. That's your Genin test."

Genma sunshined away, leaving the Genin relatively alone with the Hokage.

"Listen up!" The Hokage barked. "Everything I'm doing with you two goes against protocol… I'm breaking a lot of rules. However, since I also write those rules… it really doesn't matter. Just remember that I, the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, The Legendary Professor, a genius ninja unlike any other genius ninja before him and after him, have a personal interest in the both of you." He finished seriously. "Do **not** disappoint me."

"Hai!" The two genin shouted simultaneously. Even Naruto felt honored.

"Now… get out of my sight, you brats." He opened a drawer and pulled out his pipe. "It's break time."  
**  
**

* * *

"So… how are we supposed to find the training ground?" Ami asked Naruto as they exited the Hokage Tower.

"I could use my Kage Bunshin to search, but with no solid idea where the grounds are… it could take an hour, maybe, and I'm pretty sure we don't have an hour." He glanced at Ami out the corner of his eye. "You could just ask someone."

Ami raised her brow, surprised at the simple solution. "You're right, I could…" she trailed off, looking up and down the street for any Shinobi. There were several civilians milling about, all content in their own little worlds. They were mildly distracting, and some wore colors that greatly resembled the drab olive green of a flak jacket, making her scan that much more difficult. After two minutes of looking, she spotted a shinobi exiting a small grocery. "Come on, Naruto!" she exclaimed, dashing off.

Naruto followed at a much more sedate pace, his thoughts focused on their test… what was the point? What would they learn or gain from finding the training grounds on their own? He tried to put himself in his jounin-sensei's shoes… but he didn't know enough about the man to discern the true purpose of their test, yet. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that simply **finding** the grounds wasn't the true purpose.

When he finally joined Ami, she was turned towards him, frown on her face, the unknown Shinobi already continuing along with his business. "Why are you frowning?" he asked her.

"Huh?" she said blankly, as if just noticing him. "I-I just smelled something funny, is all."

He knew she was lying, if not from the stutter, then from the fact that he could smell as good as a dog… and he didn't smell anything funny. "You're lying." He said, only stating fact.

He noticed that she was staring at him quite intently, and after a few moments, it was starting to annoy him. "What?!"

"You aren't going to demand the truth? That's what most people do when they've been lied to."

"I'm not most people." He replied seriously.

_"So I'm starting to notice…"_ she said softly. Naruto was sure it wasn't meant for his ears, so he didn't let on that he heard her.

"What did he say?" Naruto asked after a moment.

"… he didn't know-" she started,

"So why are we still standing here? Go ask someone else!" He exclaimed, cutting her off.

"Why don't _you_ ask somebody?"

Naruto looked at her then, _really_ looked at her, because he knew she wasn't annoyed at being asked to do all the work. "S'not a good idea." He said simply.

"… why?"

"You've noticed, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation… you really **are** pretty smart."

"The correct term is perceptive…and you're just as perceptive as I am…" she trailed off, frowning at him, "anyway, as I was saying, he didn't know the exact location, but he had an idea. Is that good enough for you?"

"Yep. Just point me in the right direction."

"On the northern side of the village, between Training Grounds 12 and 14, which are both mid-sized training grounds. Training Ground 13 is a small, enclosed area, and is apparently Genma-sensei's personal training area."

Naruto made a hand seal, and twenty Kage Bunshin's took to the roofs, sprinting towards the other side of the village.

Ami and the true Naruto followed in the clones wake, each thinking about the true purpose of the test. Ami was sure she had figured it out… but Naruto wasn't so sure.

"Finally… it took you nine minutes to get here… that's eight minutes too long." Genma said when his genin hopefuls arrived at the clearing. They had made a rather dramatic entrance, falling to the ground from the tree tops in sync.

Ami opened her mouth to speak, but Genma cut her off with a shake of his head. "I'm just playing my role," he said, sitting Indian style, instructing his genin to do the same. "This wasn't a race, per say, but we do need to get you two faster, and increase your geographical knowledge."

He let them sit in silence for a second before asking his next question. "True purpose of this test… Naruto?"

Naruto didn't speak at first, instead opting to stare at his shoes. "You… you wanted to show me that I can't always rely on myself. You didn't really have time to think of a deep and meaningful test to go with the message, so you used the most basic, crude method to get your point across. You asked us to go into a civilian infested environment so I would have to rely on Ami for information." He looked up when he finished talking.

Genma wasn't impressed, already knowing his Genin's intelectual capability from the Hokage's reports. "Correct… Ami, same question."

"You wanted me to see the animosity most of the civilians hold for Naruto… not just that though… I had to see the animosity, but not hound him for clearly personal information. We're a team, but that doesn't require us to bare our innermost secrets."

"Correct." Genma said shortly. "You two pass." Neither genin reacted to the information.

Genma focused his attention on Ami. "Naruto learned the Kage Bunshin several years ago from a current ANBU captain… he never asked or inquired to learn anything else, and actually never even asked to learn Kage Bunshin. He's had to rely on only himself for nearly his entire life, and if he continues in that vein, he won't survive on this team." He then turned to Naruto. "I'm making you team captain, and you need to understand the value of team before we even think of taking a mission."

"Wait… why me instead of Ami?" Naruto asked, glancing at the aforementioned girl. Sure, he was a most likely a much better fighter, but he felt like she'd be the better decision maker.

"Because of the thoughts running through your head right now," Genma answered with a smile. "That, and, I feel like you'd be better equipped to deal with any threats should I go down."

Ami, silent throughout the short conversation, piped up. "What could Naruto do against something or someone that could defeat you? You're a jounin... and an elite one at that." She wasn't downing Naruto's skills… but the rank spoke for itself.

"You'll notice over the next… month, maybe, that Naruto has very unique skills and abilities." Genma answered. "Who told you about my Elite Jounin status? Anko?"

"Yeah, and Naruto told me too." She answered, nodding at the aforementioned boy. Genma turned his inquisitive stare onto him.

"Kaira told me about all the Jounin who were worth there salt." Naruto supplied.

"Ohhhh, Kaira... if it weren't for her and Kosame, I'd have probably still been a Tokubetsu Jounin..."

"So!" Genma said suddenly, "describe yourselves. Where you think your skills lay, favorite foods, ummm… and whatever else you want to talk about."

"You haven't been a jounin-sensei before, have you?" Ami asked.

"Nope." Genma replied happily.

"I'll start off," Ami began, rolling her eyes. "I'm good with weapons… anything sharp, really, and according to my aunt, I have some talent for ninjutsu, because I have moderately large chakra reserves for a young Kunoichi and very good control. She hasn't actually taught me any ninjutsu, so I'm not sure how she can proclaim I have talent in it if I don't know any techniques. My favorite food is sushi, followed closely by Dango. I hope to one day be a-"

"Stop, stop." Genma cut her off. "Never mind about all that, it'll take too long, I don't particularly care, and I have to be back home in fifteen minutes." He ignored Ami's growl. "My favorite show comes on then, and I can't miss it." Ami's growling only grew louder.

He stood up. "Instead, we're going to fight for the next… ten minutes or so, and you'll show me what you know. That way, I'll be able to better think up a training regimen for you both to follow."

Naruto and Ami stood as well. "But, wouldn't it be quicker if we just told you what we were good at?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Well, yeah, but I've still got to assess your skills myself, so… if you don't want to die, come at me with the intent to kill. I won't be holding back… much."

Naruto and Ami tensed, each pulling out their preferred weapon. For Ami, it was a handful of Kunai tucked between each finger of both hands. For Naruto, it was his previously made battalion of Kage Bunshin. Nineteen, because one had been dispelled by Genma when it happened upon the clearing.

"Ready… start!"

The two genin sprung into action, Ami going right and Naruto going left. Ami whipped her wrist, sending four kunai flying at Genma with deadly precision. The jounin weaved in between the projectiles, letting Ami see how outclassed she was. Naruto took advantage of the situation, attacking his sensei as the last of the kunai whizzed by. He crouched low before launching himself at the jounin, leg outstretched in a flying side kick. He flew with considerable velocity, but Genma was ready, spinning away at the last moment.

He latched onto Naruto's ankle, and using the Genin's momentum against him, slammed the boy into the ground. There was a poof of smoke, and five more Kunai flew at Genma through the obstruction. He ducked under them, rolling forward towards Ami, letting his own kunai fly. The girl couldn't move in time, but luckily a clone dropped down in front of her, taking the hit.

"Hmph."

He dashed at the girl before she had time to move away, sending a powerful blow to her temple. A clone attached itself to his arm before he could connect, however, and the extra weight slowed him enough for Ami to slip under the fist. Her hand snapped towards his belly, a kunai gripped tightly between her fingers. He brought his knee up hastily, powering through the stab-move and kneeing the girl in the face.

Ami crumpled to the ground in obvious pain, blood running down her chin, and as Genma moved in for the finishing blow, the real Naruto tackled him to the ground from behind.

_He moves so quietly…_

Genma twisted so that Naruto was on the bottom instead of himself, kneeing the blond in the ribs as the landed. This blond also turned out to be a clone, and when Genma looked back, Ami was gone.

He searched the clearing, but couldn't sense his genin anywhere… he knew that Naruto was a genius at stealth, but Ami's ability surprised him.

_He switched himself with a clone before we landed… he's very quick on his feet, and apparently has a **lot** of chakra to use. The girl is a good actor… I really thought she was out, and her accuracy with those Kunai is deadly. She is also good at following nonverbal instruction, because she couldn't possibly hide from me on her o-_

Before he could complete his thought, the jounin was assaulted again. Shuriken flew at him from every direction, forcing him to use Kawarimi to escape. Replacing himself with a log some ten yards away, he used the technique again to avoid three well placed kunai.

_They attack rapidly without showing themselves, attempting to force me to panic. And because Naruto still has some of those clones about... I don't know **who **is attacking._

He bent backwards at an almost ninety degree angle, displaying dancer-type flexibility, dodging a flying kick from Naruto.

_Naruto is mostly close-range, whereas Ami prefers distance, though she isn't out of element in close range either_ He hadn't forgotten that move to gut him.

He followed through the maneuver, flipping backward. Pushing off with his hands, he evaded three more kunai from Ami. As he landed, he threw a hand behind him, deflecting Naruto's fist, and then ducked under a leg flying towards his face. The genin followed through with the attack, doing a full three sixty, bringing his other leg around in a backwards spin kick. Genma used his forearms to block, easily absorbing the force from the kick.

_I feel almost giddy… they have such potential. Naruto's Taijutsu is superb, and he doesn't even know a true style. A chuunin would have had to dodge that kick._

He and Naruto traded blows for a few seconds, before he acted upon one of several openings in Naruto's defense. He spent towards the genin, kneeing him in the gut, hard. He felt immense satisfaction when the blonde crumpled to the ground instead of poofing away.

He tensed for a second, then whipped his hand out, sending a kunai at the oncoming Ami. She imitated his graceful move from earlier, bending backwards with more natural ease than he did. She further mimicked him, following through the move to avoid another kunai, pushing off with her hands, spinning twice in the air before landing in a split. The motion was almost unnaturally smooth. Her two kunai were deflected by two thrown from Genma, but before she could attack again, she was struck in the side of the hide by a hard boot.

"I knew there was a reason I decided to wear these today." Genma laughed, looking down at his boots. He glanced at the unconscious Ami, then looked over at the spot Naruto had previously occupied. "It's over Naruto." he called out. "I know enough."

Naruto dropped down from a tree on the edge of the forest, scowling. "We didn't stand a chance, did we?" He asked as he walked towards Genma.

"Nope."

"None at all?"

"None at all. You were about as good as I expected, but her," he said, jerking a thumb at Ami," did you see that flip and the split?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied, looking up at his jounin-sensei. The man had his respect now.

"I didn't think she was that limber. What were you planning to do after you slipped away?"

"I was going to attack you again, to keep your attention off Ami… but you moved too fast for me to stop you… how did you do that?

"… it's called speed. It's a very useful technique."

Naruto scowled.

"Anyway, meet me back here tomorrow morning at dawn. Be well rested. The next month is going to be gruesome." Genma was about to sunshin away.

"Wait!"

_They keep interrupting me!_ "What?"

"What's going to happen over the next month?" Naruto inquired.

"Advanced genin training." Genma replied quickly, sunshin-ing away before Naruto could ask another question.

"I guess I'll find out more tomorrow." Naruto said to himself, glancing down at Ami.

_How to wake her up…_ he wondered. He stepped over her and lightly slapped her a few times, but the girl barely stirred. He leaned down over her ear.

"BITCH! WAKE UP!"

Again nothing, so he slapped her once more, this time with more force. Ami shot up, her immediate response a fist directed towards Naruto's privates. He danced away, but caught a glancing blow to the balls, and that was more than enough to deter him for a few moments.

"What hit me? A truck?" she mumbled to herself, gingerly touching the forming bruise on the side of her head.

When they had both collected themselves; Ami shaking the cobwebs from her head, and Naruto's pain fading to nothing, the boy relayed Genma's message.

"At dawn? Fuck that's early!" Ami said after hearing their orders.

"Yep." Naruto agreed.

"So what do you think… about us, I mean." she asked, shaking herself loose.

"We'll be fine… he said he was impressed with your flexibility." he added after a moment.

"Were you?"

"Impressed? Yeah… I've never scene anything like that before. How'd you get so flexible?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "It's natural, I guess."

"Oh." Naruto said thoughtfully, nodding his head. "It looked unnatural to me."

She just shrugged. Maybe it had something to do with her family? Anko was just as flexible. "So now what?"

"Now we go about our business."

"Don't you think we should review the fight?"

"… that's a good idea, I guess."

"It **is** a good idea, and we'll improve more if we go over our mistakes."

"…" he through his hands up impatiently, waiting for her to begin.

"You want me to go first?"

"It was your idea."

Ami rolled her eyes before beginning. "Well…"

* * *

Thank you all who reviewed the other chapters. 


	4. The Next Step

**Disclaimer: All I own are the clothes on my back. **

**The Next Step**

* * *

Four Konoha shinobi raced through Bird Country, ghost-like in their silence as they sliced through the tree tops. No leaves moved out of place, and no animals fled in fright. They were the best of the best; Konoha ANBU.

"Sempai… we have to stop. If we continue on, they will follow us back to the village… we can't let them know where we are from." Washi signaled.

"What do you suggest?" Kame replied.

"We must kill them." This came from Neko.

Kame sighed. He'd been hoping to avoid a fight, but the ANBU squad pursuing them were very skilled, and hadn't let up in their pursuit. In order to delay the war that was brewing on the horizon, those nin would have to die. It wasn't that he was hesitant to kill them; instead, he didn't know if his team would escape unscathed.

"Sempai? Washi and I have already devised a plan to use in this instance. In fact, the plan is already in action." Kaeru signaled.

"And you didn't tell me? Your captain?!" Kame exclaimed, foregoing the hand signals.

"There was not time, and we knew you would object. You and Ookami are not so different, in that regard." Kaeru supplies.

"You've been in this situation before." Kame stated plainly. He held in a sigh; it was for the best, he supposed. However skilled their opponents were, they were sure to lack the teamwork of his squad; despite the fact that they had neglected to inform him of their no doubt "diabolical" plan.

"Hai… but our opponents weren't as skilled." She paused, noticing Kame's unease. "Do not worry Sempai. There are five of them and four of us, but the numbers will be in our favor soon."

Kame glanced to his right, noting the position of their fourth member, Neko. She'd come a long way in her few years in ANBU, mostly because of Ookami's tutelage. She was the youngest of them, and the most deadly. And… she was a Kage Bunshin!

_I've been slacking off in my training, not to notice that…_

"So Neko is in or your little plan too?" He asked Kaeru.

"Hai."

"What is the plan?"

"We will stop." And they did. "In exactly twenty seconds the Iwa squad will be upon us. In the second before they demand our heads, Washi and Neko will attack the two weakest most vulnerable of the squad. They will not hold back."

_And neither will I,_ Kame thought solemnly. The battle would be quick, and brutal.

((((((((((())))))))))))

"Sakura, eat your heart out."

Ami thought she looked good in her new clothes. It hadn't been her idea, but when she returned home, bruised, beaten, and hopeful, her Aunt had dragged her back out, saying that a "big ugly bandana" wasn't appropriate attire for a budding Kunoichi, and definitely not appropriate for a Mitarashi. Never mind that after the various wars they were the only Mitarashi left, never mind that their clan had been predominately male, never mind that she didn't give a flying fuck… but she didn't dare say no, as her Aunt was more than just unstable.

And so now Ami stood in her mirror, admiring herself. She wore a dark body suit, similar to the ANBU body suit; it was rather unremarkable now, but in a few years, when she started to fill it out…

The legs of the suit extended into her shinobi sandals. She was considerably more modest than Anko, so she threw a light colored hooded jacket over her ensemble; nowhere near as baggy as Hinata's jacket, but not as tight as her bodysuit either. It was the perfect blend between the two, but it was stylish as well, perfectly complementing her purple hair… not that she cared about those girly things. She had kunai and shuriken strapped everywhere; each thigh, her bellt, inside her sandals, and a kunai-bracelet on each wrist. Never would anyone say she wasn't prepared.

She finished her admiration, with almost twenty minutes to spare; she decided to take the scenic route to the training grounds and mentally prepare for what was sure to be hell on earth.

(((((((())))))))

Four Iwa ANBU landed in a semi-circle around the Konoha-nin, and for the first time Kame appreciated the ferocity of their masks. Snarling visages were painted upon the porcelain face plates, in contrast to the relatively calm faces upon the Konoha-nin's face plates.

The one furthest to the left opened his mouth, only for his head to roll off his shoulders and fall to the ground with a dull thud. There was a brief moment of stillness, each shinobi taking a second to marvel at the pure viciousness of that attack; and in that moment, another Iwa shinobi, directly in front of Kame, erupted in flames. The shinobi's scream's were cut short as a sword emerged from his chest, ending his agony.

"Scatter!" The Iwa squad leader commanded.

The three remaining shinobi made to get away, only for their ankles to be wrapped tightly by thorned vines. However, these three were more senior members of the corps, and managed to escape their entrapment before they could be disposed of, scattering into the trees.

"Kaeru, Washi, you two take the leader. Neko, you and I shall handle the others." The ANBU team dispersed into the shadows.

(((((((()))))))))

"Damn I look good!" Naruto said to himself, posturing in his bathroom mirror. Iruka and Mizuki had kept his personal preferences in mind when purchasing his equipment and clothing, but he had sensed a great deal of unease from Mizuki. He just chalked it up to the way in which he had fooled them and thought no more of it.

He wore navy knee length cargo shorts; both pockets had been filled with rows of shuriken. He had a matching vest; thin and durable, with a high collar. It had no pockets on the outside, but it did have a rather intricate design upon its back- a swirling pattern of vines that stretched across the garment. He wore the vest unzipped, showing off the short sleeve fleece underneath. It had light padded lining along the inside.

He completed the new ensemble with a few personal touches; bandages around his legs up to mid calf, and bandages around his arm and forearm. Instead of the traditional kunai pouch strapped to his thigh, he wore a belt lined with kunai. He didn't need many; he'd long since learned to make Shadow Clones of his kunai.

He figured he looked pretty badass without compromising his personal beliefs… he didn't understand why people believed ninja had to wear dark colors. In a world where most ninja could hear and smell as well as any animal, color's mattered very little. It was skill, not color, that mattered.

Naruto finished his posturing before leaving the bathroom, and eventually his apartment, with a few minutes to spare. Breakfast had been prepared and eaten hastily; fruit, cereal, and a tall glass of milk. Simple, but it got the job done.

Since his apartment was on the top floor, it was nothing to hop on the roof and dash off towards the training grounds.

"You are Konoha ANBU... I will take great pleasure in kiling you both."

The Iwa-nin was rather burly for a ninja, with broad shoulders and rippling muscles. His appearance alone was intimidating; tall and wide, and the snarling lion mask he wore did nothing to lessen his presence. Throw in a dash of cold rage and a heaping of killer intent, and a normal shinobi would be fleeing the scene.

Kaeru and Washi were not normal shinobi, however, and instead of fleeing, attacked.

Kaeru dashed at the burly ninja while Washi hung back in the shadows. She attacked head on, striking at his neck in a killing blow. The Iwa-nin knocked her hand aside, sending a massive fist deep into her stomach. Kaeru doubled over in pain, but latched onto his wrist, pushing fire aligned chakra into it. The man snarled, and backhanded her into a tree. As her back impacted the thick trunk, her body disappeared in a flash of fire.

"So you are the one known as Kaira? The Heart of Konoha? Your ability with Katon is noted even in Iwa." The man spoke, his voice deep and rough. "I will be praised greatly for killing you."

"You still think you will leave here alive?" Kaeru, or rather, Kaira whispered, her voice floating over a cool breeze. "You must know, that the heart holds sorrow, and sorrow brings tears… no, my friend… it is you who will die here today."

"… the Tears of Konoha… fuck." The big Iwa-nin lost some of his composure. These two nin were lesser known than the other surviving heroes of the Iwa-Konoha war, but they were just as deadly, if not more so.

"Yes… fuck indeed." Washi announced, launching her Kodachi at the Iwa-nin's back.

The man seemed to flinch, and a wall of rock rose up behind him, blocking the sword. He turned to face Washi, a jutsu on his tongue, but no one was there. A second before his skull was shattered, he ducked under a flying kick from Kaira, only to catch an uppercut from Washi. He was barely affected by the attack, shrugging off the solid blow, but had to dodge a stream of fire rocketing towards his face. He rolled to the side, trying to keep the two Konoha ANBU in his vision, but Washi slipped away.

_Fuck!… they are a perfect team… alone, I could defeat each of them, but together…_

His thoughts were cut short as his back was blasted with a highly pressurized thin jet of water. It bore into his back like a dull blade; not sharp enough to puncture skin, but painful enough to deter him long enough for Kaira to attack again with Katon jutsu.

"Katon: Karyuu Endan!"

The Iwa-nin flashed through hand seals with lightning speed, sinking into the ground with only inches to spare him from certain death.

"Hmm… Dochuu Senkou. Washi?"

"You can probably call me by my true name now, Kaira…"

It was well known that Kosame had amazing ability with water jutsu, but bingo books often overlooked her proficiency with earth jutsu.

She made the necessary hand seals, then called out, "Doryuu Katsu!"

The earth began to split, revealing the Iwa-nin hiding in the ground. Not wasting time, he rushed into action, launching himself at Kosame. She was vulnerable as long as she had her hand on the ground, and even if she removed it from the ground, the quick cut off of chakra would leave her disoriented for a split second. Imagine his surprise then, while in mid leap, his torso fell away from his legs with a sickening squelch.

The Iwa-nin fell to undisturbed earth, eyes wide in shock. A resilient ninja, he had a few seconds left before hell claimed him. Kaira walked over to his bleeding torso, looking down at his face, pity evident in her features.

"It was all genjutsu, my friend. From the moment I burned your wrist… that was the catalyst, you see. "

"H-how? I am… e-elite…"

"A two-headed beast is far more complex than the single-headed one. The same is said for genjutsu."

"What is your name, Iwa shinobi?" Kosame jumped in.

"O-o-oushi… Ganjou…" And the Iwa squad leader died.

Kame was frustrated. Very frustrated. The nin he was fighting just happened to by a Taijutsu specialist, and he could not get away to utilize his best ability; ninjutsu. Instead of the fight being over relatively quickly, which was his intent, he was forced to duck and dodge punch after punch after kick.

Neko was performing much better; her opponent was another Kenjutsu specialist, but not nearly as talented; as such, the nin had nicks and cuts everywhere along his body, though he hadn't slowed… much.

Kame didn't want to have to wait for Kaeru and Washi to assist them; they needed to be gone, and quickly, less an Ame squad of nin wandered upon them, or worse, a back-up squad from Iwa. That would be beyond disastrous, especially given the nature of their mission.

Kame was rewarded with a solid kick to his chest for his thoughts, and as he flew towards a tree, he wondered why he hadn't allowed himself to get hit earlier. His opponent, instead of pressing the attack, went to assist his comrade. It would be his death.

"Jubaku no Jutsu." Kame whispered, before he impacted the tree.

As the Iwa-nin attacked Neko, her previous opponent has ensnared by writhing tree beams growing from the ground. As he was no longer a threat, Neko met Kame's opponent with a sword thrust instead of an unprotected back, forcing the Iwa Taijutsu user to redirect himself right into a waiting mass of tree limbs. He was trapped just as quickly as his comrade, and killed with the same extreme prejudice. It was nothing to make the trees squeeze tighter, turning the defensive "tree restraints" into an offensive "strangle Iwa-nin no jutsu."

"He almost had you, Kame-senpai."

"That's what I wanted you to think."

"… Hn."

((((((()))))))

Ami met Naruto on the way to Training Ground 13; she had left home much earlier, but Naruto had been running full speed to make it on time. They both raised eyebrows at the other's new wardrobe, but said nothing. They walked in silence, each mentally preparing themselves for what was sure to be an eventful day. It was the first day of advanced genin training, and neither genin held any illusion's that such training would be anything near leisurely.

True to his word, Genma was waiting for them in the center of the clearing, senbon in mouth instead of grass. The hokage couldn't say _that_ made no sense… he was a ninja, after all, and ninja used senbon.

"Good morning." Genma greeted, smiling.

"Good morning, Sensei." Naruto and Ami intoned together.

"I'll skip the rest of the pleasantries and get right into it. The both of you have fairly good bases to build from; what we will be doing from today till next month is giving you _very good _bases to build from. I will train you in chakra control, I will refine your Taijutsu, I will challenge your intelligence, I will build your ninjutsu repertoire… increase your speed, your power… you will be better in every aspect. This training will be hard. It will be difficult. It will be the most tiring, soul-draining endeavor you have ever encountered… if you do not intend to give your all, leave now… for if you don't, I _will _kill you. Am I clear?"

"Hai."

"Good. First off… have either of you done the tree climbing exercise?"

Ami shook her head no as Naruto shook his head yes.

"You do? Then why the theatrics on the Hokage Monument yesterday? You could've easily walked down the side."

"… I just like the thrill. The adrenaline rush… it's exhilarating."

"I bet it is." Genma muttered under his breath. "Anyway, make a clone, and show Ami how."

"Yessir." A second later, Ami and a clone of Naruto were on the edge of the clearing, the clone instructing the girl in the art of tree climbing.

"Have you discovered the secret to Kage Bunshin?"

Naruto nodded, pointing at his head, "Yep. They share memories."

"And how is this beneficial?"

"I could virtually learn in a month what it takes some ninja year to learn."

"Correct… but most ninja cannot use that aspect of the Kage Bunshin. Any idea why?"

"Chakra drain. I have more chakra than most, so I can utilize the technique to the extreme."

"Correct again. Some jounin could get away with training with a few clones every couple of days to decrease training time, but they could never take it to the extent that you."

"Do a lot of shinobi use the Kage Bunshin that way?"

"All of the Konoha shinobi who are able. Myself, the various Hokage's, numerous jounin, and by extent some ANBU… all one needs is a high amount of chakra. I learned in six years what it would take another twelve. You can learn in six months what it would take me six years… do you understand the magnitude of this? You are the perfect student, Uzumaki, and it is up to you to keep Ami up to your level." He stopped at the stricken look on Naruto's face. "She is your teammate, boy… you can not be one whole if you are unequal."

"How am I supposed to accomplish that? If I can learn things a thousand times fast than she can, how can we stay equal?"

Genma shrugged. "You cannot learn everything using this method. Ninjutsu, maybe Taijutsu, but that is all. However, before any of that starts, I will train your body and your minds. I will force you to move faster, react quicker, and think _while_ you act."

"So when it comes time to learn Ninjutsu…"

"She may actually have an easier time."

"What? How?"

"Because she is nearly done with the tree walking exercise, and we've only been talking for a few minutes, at best."

"What?!"

Naruto turned to see Ami nearly at the top of the tree. Apparently he was a very good teacher… but that was probably because he understood the "technique" on a very personal level; he'd had to nearly teach himself, after all.

"Wow… so my Kage Bunshin will really just be enabling me to keep up with her, ay?"

"In some instances, yes."

"So… how does all this work? I mean… does anyone else do this training?"

"No. The majority of genin teams do team-building missions. Since your class was so full of clan ninja, they will be receiving training in their clans techniques on the side, but the time they spend with their Jounin-sensei's will be strictly team building, for the most part."

"So why are we being given this privilege?"

"Because there are only two of you. With amazing teamwork, three exceptional genin can, theoretically, defeat an average Jounin. Therefore, two exceptional chuunin can, theoretically, defeat an elite jounin. Two genin… two genin are worthless, no matter the theoretical situation. All of the genin from your class are exceptional, so with teamwork, they can become more useful to the village that much faster. I have to get you two up to chuunin level in all aspects of shinobi-hood,"

"_Shinobi-hood_? That ain't a w-"

Genma slapped Naruto and continued talking. "And then, you two will be useful to the village. That means a month of advanced genin training."

Naruto glared at his sensei, but made no move to retaliate. "Okay …that makes sense."

((((((()))))))

The two genin collapsed to the ground in a tangle of sweaty limbs ad bruised skin, each so beyond tired that it hurt to think. Genma had a very unique way of training. He forced them to move faster by attacking them without restraining his speed. He forced them to think faster by attacking them without restraining his speed. He forced them to work together by attacking them… period.

He noticed that Naruto was adapting quicker, and remembered what the Hokage had told him. The Sandaime had surmised that it was the Kyuubi; in order to avoid anything potentially fatal, the Kyuubi sped up the chemical processes in Naruto's body that increased muscle reaction, among other things. He, the Hokage, noted that Naruto had excellent coordination and could prefectly mimicked what he saw, _if and only if_ he had seen it enough times.

Ami was no slouch, however; she was just so _damned _graceful! She was a quicker thinker than Naruto, and what she lacked in speed and strength and chakra she made up for with control, viciousness, and drive. Naruto wanted to be great, but he was in no hurry; Ami knew she was at a disadvantage, and was striving to be better _faster._

Genma figured that in a month Naruto would be well on his way to powerhouse status, but Ami would have to find other avenues to invest her time in. Genjutsu and medical jutsu came to mind. She had well enough control, and more than enough drive. If she went far enough in those disciplines, he had no doubt that the girl would be able to match Naruto.

"What are your goals?" He asked them.

"... I don't know." Naruto began. "I want to be important, I want to be powerful... I want to protect those who lack the means to protect themselves... but only if _they _want to protect themselves."

"Ami?"

"I... I want to be the greatest ninja of all time." She mumbled painfully, blushing.

"Oh? Not making the distinction between shinobi and kunoichi?" Genma asked.

"No, and I never will. Death makes no distinction... neither shall I."

"...You both did good for today… tomorrow, same time." And with that, he was gone.

"Godamn masochist!! I'm fucking bleeding!" Naruto yelled, wincing as he did. He'd never felt so abused in his life.

"I'm with you." Ami whispered painfully. "One hundred percent, I'm with you."

"Review?"

"No… can't think."

"Me either."

"Plan?"

"Lay here. I'll be good in a few minutes… then I'll carry you to the ramen stand for…" Naruto trailed off, looking up into the darkening sky. "Dinner."

"Oh? How's that? You took the same beating I did."

"… I'll tell you, one day."

"Tomorrow?"

"… no."

"Day after?"

"…no."

"Day after that?"

"No dammit!"

"Then when?!" She yelled, grimacing when she did.

"In a month… I'll tell you in a month."

"Alright. I'm holding you to that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever."

((((((()))))))

In the end, Naruto didn't have to carry Ami to the ramen stand. Instead, she limped along in his wake, bedraggled and oh so very tired. Along the way, the two genin ran into Team Kurenai. The Hyuuga was absent, but Kiba and Shino stood together in front of Sashimi, a sushi spot just a scant distance from Ichiraku.

"Naruto!" Kiba called, tapping Shino on the shoulder. He grinned at Naruto, who waved back tiredly.

"Hey Kiba." He replied, much more subdued. "Shino." He said, nodding in the taller boys direction. Shino nodded back, every bit the silent and mysterious type.

"Who's that with you? Is that… Ami? She looks like shit!"

If that had been the morning, or even the day before, Ami would've clocked Kiba for his insult; but instead she just grunted, leaning against Naruto's back.

"Ease up, Kiba. We've had a long day."

"So, you've started those worthless D-rank missions to, eh?"

"… something like that, only worse."

"What could possibly be worse than D-rank missions?" the stoic Aburame inquired.

"You don't want to know." Ami mumbled in reply, sighing deeply.

Kiba shuddered in reply. "So, who's your third teammate?"

"Some guy named Genma." Naruto answered. "He's pretty decent, but he wasn't in our class."

"Yeah, I figured that…" Kiba trailed off, thinking of all the things he and Naruto used to pull together. "Those were the days, eh? Dropping boiling water on Mizuki-sensei, cutting the seat out of Iruka-sensei's pants…"

"Ruining Sakura's birthday celebration?" Ami piped in, her mood considerably brightened by that particular memory. Naruto frowned in recollection.

"I didn't like that one so much. It took her mother a week to get the smell out of Sakura's hair. That was why I liked her. Her hair always smelled good, and it was such a delicious color."

Shino couldn't tell if Naruto was serious, or just being an asshole."

"But you have to admit," Ami began,

"That it was fucking awesome!" Kiba ended. The two genin laughed, though Ami's was more like a pained chuckle.

Naruto smiled as well, though his smile was not of the "haha" variety. It was more of the "I'm going to kick Kiba's ass" variety. "You idiot's still remember that? Kami, how old were we, seven, eight?"

"We were seven," Kiba supplied. "I remember it perfectly. It was where we got the idea for the rotten sewage bomb."

Shino coughed. "That… that was _you_?"

"Yep," Naruto answered proudly.

"Well anyway," Kiba started again. "Ami had found this old rotten bird egg on her window seal."

"The egg had baked in the sun for so long, the poor little bird inside cooked alive." Ami joined in.

"So, her idea was fairly simple; tie several fire crackers to the egg and let it explode in the middle of class." This was Kiba.

"But," and here Naruto sighed. "We got the wrong type of firecracker. They exploded in a quarter of the time we thought they would."

"So when Naruto lit the fuse,"

"The egg exploded in his face!"

Kiba started to laugh, but the frown on Naruto's face was more than enough to deter him.

"That wasn't funny!"

"But you have to admit," Kiba began.

"It was fucking awesome!" Ami ended.

_I wonder would I get caught if I killed them, _Naruto mused quietly.

"As much as I love catching up, we've got a dinner date. Kiba, Shino, until next time."

And with that he slapped each genin on the shoulder, Ami bid her farewells, and Team Genma continued on to Ichiraku Ramen.

((((((()))))))

"So the mission was a success, I presume?" Sarutobi asked, puffing his pipe.

"Hai Hokage-sama." Tenzou replied stiffly, his chest still sore.

"And?"

Tenzou nodded grimly.

His ANBU team stood in formation in the Hokage's office, giving their mission report. Everyone had taken off their masks, and much to his chagrin, he was the _only_ one who appeared to have been in a fight.

Sarutobi took another puff, exhaling the smoke slowly. He reclined back in his chair, sighing.

"They are forcing our hand, it seems… what would you have me do, Tenzou?"

Tenzou did not speak for several moments, thinking deeply on the very, very important question.

"We can do little but prepare, sir. Our shinobi forcers are bolstered by several high-level ninja, but if we are to survive what is coming, we will need more."

Sarutobi nodded sagely, agreeing with Tenzou whole heartedly. "Kosame, Kaira, find Jiraiya, see what he knows… and for the love of Kami, _hold your tempers!_"

Kaira and Kosame shared a look before nodding in acquiescence.

"I know he's a perverted old codger, but he is also my second-ranking ninja… my personal kage, if you will. Just… keep your distance, if at all possible."

"Hai Hokage-sama."

The two women slipped out of the office immediately, as silent in their exit as they were in there entrance. The Hokage turned his attention back to Tenzou.

"You are dismissed. You have two days off, the both of you. Don't waste them."

The usually stoic Yuugao cracked a miniscule smile before bowing and slipping out of the office. Tenzou took a seat across from the Hokage's desk.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking… what's to happen now?"

The Hokage didn't speak for a long time, instead opting to refill his pipe. Tenzou waited patiently, this time with the aging Hokage a precious thing that could not be sullied.

"We will prepare as best we can… as best as we can."

((((((()))))))

"You know, this… grovel is actually pretty good." Ami said around a mouthful of ramen noodles.

Naruto sat to her left, engrossed in his own bowls. "I mean, it's really soft, like baby food, but has a real intense flavor. Kind of like-"

"Will you shut up?! Fuck! You've been talking the entire time. Shut up and eat!"

Ami glanced at Naruto, affronted. "Fuck you Naruto."

"Fuck you too."

They sat quietly for a few more moments - enough time to finish their meals.

"So," Ami began, female insecurities baring their head, "do you think this will all work out?"

Naruto didn't reply for a while, content to sit and be still after an entire day of _constant_ moving. "Just… stop worrying about it, alright? I'm great, you're good- we'll be fine. And, Genma's training schedule-plan-thingy is pretty damn sound."

"Your articulateness ("_that's not a word!_") amazes me." Ami deadpanned. "But yeah, it is sound. Very fundamentally sound. Build a solid base, then specialize…"

"Should be fucking fun."

"If you call honest to god tort-"

"Naruto! Buddy! How've ya been?" Team Genma's post meal contemplations were interrupted by a happy, grinning Ino.

"_Oh lord._" Ami groaned.

Naruto perked up, but only a little. Ino was pleasant company… sometimes, but right now he really just wanted to go home and sleep. He turned to face her. "I'm fine, Ino. You just saw me yesterday."

"Yeah, but I haven't seen you _today_." Ino said in the most annoyingly girlish fashion possible. Then, she glanced over at Ami and scowled. "…Ami."

"Bibo."

Ino's scowl deepened. "I really can't stand you."

"I love you too, Bibo." Before Ino could retort, Naruto reached a hand up and put it over her mouth.

"Just let it go." He said seriously, addressing both Ami and Ino.

Ino shook off Naruto's hand, still scowling at Ami. "I'll talk to you later Naruto… tell your pet monkey she should mind her betters." Naruto chuckled, and Ami grew angry.

"I'm three seconds away from kicking your ass, Bibo… I suggest you leave." Ino knew that Ami would follow on her threat, or atleast try too, and wisely walked away, but not before blowing a childish raspberry.

Naruto and Ami soon followed, leaving the Ramen stand to return to their respective homes.

"I still don't see why you guys hate each other. You're both fucking insane. You should be best buds!"

Ami didn't even react to the insane comment; she'd been hearing it from Naruto since she was eight."I don't hate Ino, silly boy. She's one of my best friends!"

"Oh really now?"

"… no, of course not. That bitch really gets under my skin… maybe it's her hair, or her blaring girly-ness, or that god awful grating whine she calls a voice… how did you two become friends anyway? I never really paid attention back at the academy."

"Because I put up with her loopiness, and I'm handsome, funny, dashing, charming, and generally unbelievably amazing. That, and one day I died Sakura's hair neon green. Her mother washed it out before class, but Ino saw it. Ever since then, she's been friendly." Ami laughed long and hard at that before bidding Naruto farewell.

* * *

**Read. Review. Enjoy! Next Chapter: Humor, drama, and action. **

**I appreciate the reviews, I really do, even if I don't say it.**


	5. Time Flies

**Disclaimer: I don't even own my underwear, let alone Naruto.**

* * *

The following weeks continued in similar fashion to that first day: Naruto and Ami would meet Genma at dawn, they would be tortured till dark, and then they would drag themselves to whatever restaurant they came upon first, eat, and go home. Training wasn't just physical conditioning - they had to successfully attack, defend, trap, and capture Genma. He never employed the same tactic, and Naruto was sure that other jounin joined in, henged to look like their sensei. It was the only way to describe the utter chaos of everything. He was training them to think, act, move, and _feel_like ninja, and the process was beyond tiring - easily the hardest thing Naruto had ever done.

He couldn't fault Genma, though. In two weeks he'd gotten much faster; fast enough now to actually connect with a kick or a punch now and again. Ami's accuracy had grown immensely, and though neither of them learned any new jutsu, they worked on recognizing enemy seals and increasing their own sealing speed. It was all grueling work, but Naruto wouldn't have it any other way; he enjoyed the challenge.

This day found Naruto as excited as he had ever been. Today, Genma was going to discover their chakra nature. Naruto was more than ready to learn ninjutsu, especially after two weeks of chakra control and physical and mental torture.

Naruto met Ami on her way to the training grounds. She had small bags under her eyes, and hadn't bothered to comb her hair, just pulling it up into a ponytail.

He didn't say anything as he came upon her, just falling instep next to her, marveling at how beat-up she looked compared to him.

The silence lasted till they reached the training grounds - Genma was there waiting for them, as he was every morning, with two small slips of paper in his hand. He handed one to Naruto, then to Ami.

"Those will determine your chakra nature. I want you to channel some chakra into it. If it crumples, you've got lightning. If it burns, fire. If it splits in two, wind. If it gets wet, water, and if it falls apart, Earth."

The two genin nodded, both channeling chakra into the paper. Naruto's split in two cleanly down the middle; Ami's burnt to a crisp. Genma smiled.

"Well, well well. A wind-type and a fire-type. You two were just made for each other, weren't you." The jounin joked.

Naruto didn't know how to answer, so he kept his silence. Ami, on the other hand, as the most bloodthirsty of the two, whipped a kunai at their jounin-sensei. In a testament to her increased throwing speed, Genma had to dodge the kunai instead of just deflecting it with one of his own.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Trying to kill your sensei! For that, you'll start with my favorite exercise; _Dodge or Die_!"

Ami groaned loudly, and Naruto had to stop her from throwing another kunai at Genma, lest he be given the same training. _Dodge or Die_ was not a fun game, as the name implied.

"Go on, hop to it. Sprint to the lake." Genma never had to raise his voice or state a request more than once; his training of the genin reflected on the training he received from the ANBU. It gave off the impression of a light, jovial atmosphere, but the truth was that if they didn't do what he said, they'd be hard-pressed to walk, let alone continue their ninja career.

Ami sprinted off, grumbling the whole while. She might couldn't disobey, but she could complain all she wanted.

Genma looked towards Naruto, who was staring into space. He was no doubt imagining all he could do with a wind affinity. When he noticed Genma was staring at him, he snapped out of his daze.

"So what jutsu are you going to teach me?"

Genma pretended to be confused. "Who said anything about jutsu?"

"You said today we would find out our chakra nature; for what other reason would that be unless we were going to learn jutsu?" Naruto questioned.

Genma waved him off. "There'll be time for that later. You have more important things to worry about right now."

Noticeably cautious, Naruto prepared to be attacked. "And what's that?"

Genma grinned, and Naruto knew that today he would up the intensity once again.

"Me." And with that the jounin shot at Naruto, whipping his left foot towards the genins' face. Naruto ducked under the blow, hand flashing forward to catch Genma in the balls. The jounin twisted out of the way, kicking at Naruto's exposed back. Naruto blinked away, dropping a smoke bomb at his feet. A foot came flying out of the smoke, but Genma was ready, grabbing the foot and flinging Naruto into a nearby tree.

Naruto flipped so that he landed feet first, sticking to the tree with chakra. He took off into the branches, disappearing in the foliage.

"You won't be able to hide forever!" Genma called, joining his charge in the trees.

(((((())))))

_Dodge or Die_was a very simple exercise. You could either dodge, or you could die. The exercise centered around dodging a number of kunai, shuriken, and senbon. You could deflect them, but that wasted time, and in that time more of the aforementioned objects could be flying at you with enough speed to maim, if not outright kill. Thus creating _Dodge or Die_, because if you deflected a projectile you would definitely die.

Ami hated and loved the game. She loved that she was learning to be not only quick, but efficient with her movements, because sometimes the weapons were thrown so close that if she were half an inch off, she would die. She loved that because of the training she could match up with Naruto much better- as opposed to as she was at the Academy, getting pummeled by even Kiba.

However, she hated the constant fear. If she didn't judge the trajectory right, didn't dodge at the right time, she could very well die. She didn't think her sensei would really kill her; but she also thought, at one point in time, that Sasuke was a girl. She'd been wrong before, and she could be wrong now.

She had to forget all of that though, and that was point of _Dodge or Die_, really. Forgetting all outside distractions except the one that could kill you. Those were important, the life or death matters. Everything else could wait.

Her musings were cut short as Genma's clones started the exercise. There was no announced "start"; the kunai just started flying.

Ami ducked under one- twisted around on her hands and kicked her legs up to dodge three more, simultaneously tilting her head back to dodge another. She pulled her hands from the ground and fell to her back, avoiding a line of shuriken. She rolled and jumped, tucking her legs and arms tight, just barely saving herself from no less than six kunai.

With a one handed cartwheel, she avoided three more kunai. She followed with a split, then twirled out of it in a maneuver even a gymnast would be jealous of. She danced on her hands, dodging kunai after shuriken, then found her feet again, jumping and spinning and falling out of the way of the hazardous projectiles.

Some would argue that her movements were superfluous, but the truth was that she was dodging as if her opponent would do more than just stand and throw kunai, just as Genma had intended for her to do. A duck and a spin would put her in a better position to kill a closing opponent than just a duck.

"You're getting better." One of the clones called out. "That danger-sense of yours is progressing along nicely." Another added. The clones stopped throwing kunai, and Ami stopped dancing.

"That was a good warm-up." The girl announced, her previous bags gone. "On to the water?" she asked.

"Yep. On to the water."

This was the second level of _Dodge or Die,_ and considerably more difficult. _Dodge or Die on Water_.

(((((())))))

It was the Hokage who'd devised Naruto's training schedule. Sarutobi had noticed several things about Naruto in his observations and set about testing them. With the results of his tests he put together a training regime that would increase Naruto's abilities in a much quicker fashion than basic training.

Basic training was very generalized; there was body-work, things such as pushups and running, and then there was the sparring aspect. The Hokage surmised that Naruto didn't need to run laps or do push-ups; he'd noticed that Naruto improved quicker and with greater increments when possible death was involved. Thus, he told Genma to just fight Naruto, slowly but steadily increasing the speed and power of his movements and attacks until Naruto could match him. Genma had been skeptical in the beginning, but over the past few weeks Naruto had grown enough to solidify the Hokage's claims.

"He'll be the best damned ninja Konohagakure has ever seen, mark my words."

Still, the boy had a lot to learn, at least that's what Genma thought, as he ducked under Naruto's fist. He made to knee the boy in the stomach, but Naruto braced a hand against Genma's knee and flipped himself into the air, lashing out at the jounin's face.

Genma took the blow, shaking off the pain and grabbing Naruto's wrist. He twisted it, viciously, latching onto Naruto's vest with his other hand and swinging the boy face first into the tree's trunk.

Just as he expected, the body in his hands burst into smoke. Anticipating an attack through the obstruction, Genma dropped down to the forest floor.

He landed with nigh a sound, and thus was more than a little surprised when he was swarmed by dozens of Naruto's just as the sole's of his feet touched the ground. Genma whipped out a kunai, holding it tightly in his fist as he danced around the clones, stabbing and slashing when and where he could. To his dismay, for every clone he destroyed, three more took its place, until the original number of clones had tripled.

He pulled out a handful of shuriken and let them fly, striking down the clones surrounding him. Before the shuriken had even fully left his grasp, he was flying into hand seals, a jutsu on his lips.

"**_Doton: Retsudo Tenshou_**!" He called, slamming his hands into the ground.

The earth cracked as if it were glass, and the stone beneath the grass rose out of the ground in twisting tree-sized cones of crushing rock. The mass of rocks fell over the clones, flattening the lot of them in one fell swoop.

Genma let out a breath of relief, glad that he'd taken the time to learn that technique. It was a simple manuever, but it required precise control, and-

**_WHAM!_**

His head rocked to the left and his body followed. The jounin crashed into the rock he'd called from the ground, head spinning and temper flaring. He'd taken a brief moment of respite and was rewarded with an utterly crushing blow to his temple.

He didn't have time to cradle his head either; one moment he'd been climbing up from the ground and the next he was dodging a flying kick from Naruto, right into the path of two more Naruto's. The clones latched onto Genma's torso and legs, slowing him down long enough for the real Naruto to slip up behind him and send an instant-kill kunai strike to the base of his head. The kunai sunk into Genma's flesh hilt-deep; blood squirted onto Naruto's face, and the clone died.

"Shit!" Naruto screamed, trying to scramble away. He wasn't fast enough.

"_**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu**_!" A great stream of fire emerged out of nothing from directly in front of Naruto.

He couldn't panic, didn't have time to think; one moment he staring at certain death, and the next he was behind the attack, rushing at Genma with speed akin to a bullet. He felt like he was running through a vacuum, his steps covering more ground than possible. He noticed Genma's eyes widening with comical sluggishness, saw the trail of fire left by the fire jutsu, saw as tried to flee; he saw all of this all in the second it took for his knee to flatten Genma's stomach into paper.

Everything slowed then, when his knee made contact. The vacuum feeling was gone, and in its placed he felt an inhuman amount of weight pressing down on his body from all sides, as if he were being pressed through a tube not big enough for and insect, let alone a human. Blood rushed from his nose and his eyes and his ears, and he collapsed to the ground, dead to the world.

Genma, hacking and coughing, climbed to his feet, holding a hand to his bruised stomach. He'd never seen anyone move that fast ever, not even when he'd tested his mettle against Kakashi… of course, Kakashi had been holding back - they had to, at that level, but still. For a genin to accomplish such speed… the Hokage would have to be notified. Hell, he'd probably even planned on it.

"…Naruto? Hey Naruto, you alright?"

Genma stepped towards Naruto's prone form only to shriek in fright as red chakra erupted from the boy's pores, coating his body in an unearthly sheen. Genma could tell it was the fox's chakra, if not from the color then from the feel. He pulled out a kunai, wary of the chakra but it promptly disappeared, and Naruto pulled himself off the ground with no more than a slight headache and severe fatigue. Genma visibly relaxed. _I'm glad he didn't hear that scream._

"… what the fuck just happened?" Naruto asked. "One minute I was about to die and then… it was almost like I teleported, and then I kneed you in the stomach… how'd you recover so fast?."

"I'm a jounin … and I don't know what happened to you, or how it happened." Genma answered honestly. _Not teleportation. Extremely high-speed movement._"Hopefully the Hokage was watching this session."

"… He can watch us? How?"

"By using his crystal ball. It has special properties that allow it to act as a camera."

"Why would he be watching me? I know we're close and I'm his mega-important ninja, but… doesn't he have better things to do?"

"Yes, he does." _But you are his unpredictable experiment. Unpredictable and integral to the future of this village._

"Yes he does? Is that all? No other expl-"

Genma punched Naruto in the head with all the strength he could muster, sending the boy into blissful silence.

"I need a vacation." Genma muttered. "A long vacation to the Southern Islands… where the women don't complain… and there are no twelve-year old super genin!" Genma finished with a yell. If they had told him he'd have to deal with ninja like Uzumaki Naruto, who could move like lightning and punch like thunder, he'd have calmly told them to fuck off. "Oh Genma, we'll train you up to Jounin, all you have to do is agree to be the sensei of Uzumaki Naruto. Please, train him?" He said mockingly.

_I should've agreed to nothing less than a sloppy blowjob, from both of them… at the very least._

(((((())))))

Since Kage Bunshin were independent from their original, the clones of Genma continued to train Ami even as the real Genma lead Naruto (now awoken from his impromptu nap) to the Hokage's offices.

The clones, four in number, circled Ami, throwing kunai and shuriken at random intervals. Now that they were on water, the difficulty of the training was able to shine through. Ami liked to use all of her body - hands, hips, back, thighs - and at her current level both dodging deadly projectiles and water-walking was a very, very tall order. Completely doable, but difficult nonetheless.

She didn't complain though, and so far hadn't been hit, still dancing through wave after wave of kunai and shuriken. Twirling and spinning across the water-top, Ami avoided all of Genma's weapons while maintaining a calm, serene façade. Her eyes were almost closed as she danced, as if she were in a trance. This would be dangerous if she were in battle, but as it were, she managed just fine, relying on the intagible sense that screamed "danger!" to keep her from harms way.

This continued for upwards of half and hour before Genma's clones had to dispel themselves, having run out of chakra. Usually Genma and Naruto would come crashing into the lake and then Ami would join the fight, but as she waited, neither nin showed up.

Huffing in annoyance, Ami took off towards the clearing. Maybe Genma was stopping to explain something to Naruto? The blonde had been reading a lot lately, but he had yet to say anything to her, and she didn't feel like prying. Yet.

She arrived at the clearing to find it abandoned, save for the horse-sized gecko that appeared to be waiting for her.

It turned to her as she entered the clearing, blinking it's great big eyes twice. "Ah, Ami, you are here."

This was one of Genma's summons. It was a spider gecko, with inflated bulbous eyes, green camo skin, and an utterly insufferable disposition. She didn't know how many different gecko's Genma could summon, but this one seemed to be the scholar of the bunch… or rather, he sounded like the scholar of the bunch. She really didn't know, having only met two of them.

"Ikaseki… what's going on? What happened to Naruto?"

"How did you reach that conclusion, eh? Maybe something happened to Genma-sama?"

Ami frowned at the lizard, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just tell me what's going on." She demanded, trying not to throw a kunai at the overgrown reptile. "_Fucking piece of shit_!" she added under her breath.

Ikaseki just chuckled. "Genma-sama has taken young Naruto to meet with the Hokage, as some… complications have arisen that need to be addressed."

"Complications?" Ami questioned.

"Oh, don't fret. Nothing untoward has happened to the young man. Despite his rather sour expression, Genma was quite excited by whatever it was."

"Oh… so what, am I supposed to go to the Hokage's offices?"

"No my dear! We shall complete today's training! Genma shan't be teaching you any ninjutsu yet, but I don't know any you could use anyway, and you've done your stamina training today, have you not?"

"Yes." she answered, sighing. _Fucking period always makes me grumpy._

"Well… Genma has complimented you on your intelligence, your ambition, your aim, and your… viciousness… have you learned anything about the human anatomy?"

Ami's eyes brightened. "Not beyond what they teach at the academy."

"And that is?"

"… Nothing. It's assumed that we know a kunai to the heart or head will result in death."

"I figured as much." Ikaseki mumbled. "Well come, have a seat." He said, patting the ground in front of him with a claw big enough to crush her ribs. Ami hurried over, always willing to learn.

Especially if it would make her a better ninja.

(((((())))))

Genma and Naruto didn't find the Hokage at his offices; they instead found him at the Ninja Academy; he'd needed to speak with Iruka about the graduating class. They came in as he was leaving, Genma with his bruised face and Naruto with dried blood on his face and neck.

"Hokage-sama." Genma greeted, bowing at the neck. Naruto followed suit.

"Ah, Genma, Naruto, I was expecting you."

"So you were watching?" Genma asked quietly.

"Yes. I will be brief, as I have a meeting within a few minutes. In times of intense stress, Naruto's bodily functions speed to astronomical figures, increasing his reaction time, his regeneration, his speed, and his strength. I would label it a kekkai genkai, if I had time to actual study him, but I don't , and I won't for several weeks." He paused for a moment, but before Genma could get a comment in, he continued. "Visit me again about it after your first C-Rank mission… the month is almost over, isn't it?"

"Hai. I'll have them ready in a week and a half."

"Will they truly be chuunin level?" The Hokage questioned, glancing at Naruto. The boy looked half-dazed, content to listen, for once.

Genma glanced back at Naruto; in their spar today, he hadn't been going even fifty percent, but fifty percent was more than enough for the average chuunin. Naruto had essentially been winning the fight, _without_the use of jutsu. It was a testament to the child's speed and power. _And his inhuman resilience._

"Yeah," Genma acknowledged, turning back to face the Sandaime. "They'll definitely be ready."

"Good, good." The Hokage mumbled, nodding to himself.

Genma and Naruto excused themselves. Naruto was uncharacteristically silent; Genma attributed it to lag from the previous strenuous activities.

As they walked back to the training grounds, Genma couldn't help but notice the increased action in ANBU. They were difficult to spot, but ANBU and Root nin were littered across the city, and some were converging on the _War Office_. He'd known things with Kumo and Iwa had been deteriorating, but both those villages were still recovering from previous wars and skirmishes. He didn't think things would heat up so soon...

He glanced over at Naruto, who was walking with his eyes half closed as if the sun were too bright.

_He would have you become Bishamon, our very own God of War of Justice… it is my job to ensure you live up to the task._

_**I shall not fail.**_

* * *

**This chapter is short, I know, but the next one will be out soon to make up for it. It's already halfway done. It'll be the first C-Rank with Team Genma, and maybe something with the ANBU and regards to the Chuunin Exam. **

**As always:**

**_Read. Enjoy. Review._**


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